Hungary has a long history of producing brilliant minds in the fields of math and physics, with scientists like John von Neumann, Edward Teller, and Eugene Wigner earning the nickname “Martians” for their exceptional intelligence. The country also pioneered science outreach by hosting the world’s first math competition for teenagers in 1894.
Today, we bring you brain training exercises inspired by a recent Hungarian math competition. Are you ready to test your skills and see if you can think like a Martian? Let’s dive into the challenges:
1. Curb your enthusiasm (Ages 13/14)
On an island, residents are either half-hearted or enthusiastic. A visitor asked 10 residents about the number of enthusiastic inhabitants in the group and received answers ranging from 3 to 12. Can you determine the number of enthusiastic residents based on the clues given?
2. Edgy logo (Ages 11/12)
Design a 2D logo using equilateral triangles and squares with a side length of 1 cm. Can you create a logo with a perimeter of 13 cm using the given shapes?
3. Axehead tiles (Ages 15/16)
Identical tiles with quarter circle edges are stacked, and the height of a standing tile is 12 cm. Calculate the area of a tile in cm2.
The solutions will be revealed later, so no spoilers, please! These puzzles are from the Dürer Competition, a math contest in Hungary that aims to make math fun and engaging for young minds. The competition was founded by students at ELTE University in Budapest and has revitalized math outreach in Hungary.
If you enjoy challenging puzzles, you may like “Think Twice: Solve the Puzzles That (Almost) Everyone Gets Wrong,” a collection of thought-provoking conundrums that test your reasoning skills. The book aims to challenge biases and flawed thinking in a fun and engaging way.
Stay tuned for the solutions and keep exercising your brain with these Martian-inspired challenges. And if you have a great puzzle to share, feel free to email me. Let’s keep the puzzle-solving spirit alive!
